Anglicare WA’s NDIS exit exposes cracks in the system
Anglicare WA is pulling out of the NDIS, closing its Bridges Disability Service across Collie, Rockingham, Katanning and Albany. The move affects nearly 90 participants and highlights a deeper issue – the growing financial strain facing disability providers, especially in regional Australia.
Anglicare WA’s decision to withdraw from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and close its Bridges Disability Service across Collie, Rockingham, Katanning and Albany has left 89 participants – and more than 80 staff – facing an uncertain future.
The organisation says it simply can’t afford to keep going. Costs have risen, but NDIS funding hasn’t kept pace. After four years of financial losses, Anglicare WA is stepping back, promising to help clients transition to new providers. But for people in regional WA, where services are already thin on the ground, “transition” often means disruption, stress, and the loss of trusted relationships built over years.
A warning sign for the sector
This isn’t just about one provider. It’s a sign of deeper cracks in the system. The NDIS was meant to deliver choice and control, but when providers pull out because it’s no longer viable, that choice disappears – especially in regional and remote areas.
What needs to change
If governments and the NDIA want to protect the future of the NDIS, they need to act. That means reviewing pricing structures, supporting regional service delivery, and making sure sustainability isn’t just a buzzword. Because behind every “provider exit” headline are real people whose lives depend on these supports.
When services like Bridges disappear, participants aren’t just losing a provider – they’re losing connection, stability, and independence. That’s not what the NDIS promised.